


Casual Reminders

by Otumeel



Series: SDau [3]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Kingdom Hearts AU, Other, a nice slice of life? Nope you were fooled, sdau, sora dies au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 01:30:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20331814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otumeel/pseuds/Otumeel
Summary: Also known as Reformed!Sora pulls a Kh2 Riku and Kairi and Riku won’t have any of it. This is set a few months to maybe a year after 3D, sdau version (I’d recommend starting with that fic before this one “Together” is it’s title) anyways, I hope you all enjoy this one and my Instagram/Tumblr are under the same name so hmu with some questions if you have them!





	Casual Reminders

The breeze carried the smell and sound of the waves to Sora, sitting in his mother’s old rocking chair and watching the ever swaying leaves of the palm trees near what was his mom’s home. When he finally returned to Destiny Island with Kairi and Riku he was greeted with what was left of his childhood home after the world, and eventually his fall to darkness. 

‘It was kind of them…’ Sora thought to himself, running his hands through the leftover braids in his hair. The house had been in ruins and disrepair after the horrific storm and years of neglect, their shared garden was dead and overgrown, the roof sagging and the eye like windows broken and filled with a phantom sadness.

The three of them had rebuilt most of the house on their own, with some aid from the town for licenses and various town-y things. 

He preferred the building.

“Sora!” Kairi called, jogging down the path that led to the porch. “It’s good to see you outside again!” She smiled, seeming to light up the area around her. “Hi Kairi.” Sora responded, his voice crackling from disuse.

Feet pounded up the staircase while hands grabbed and pulled the rocking chair back, Sora lifting his head to meet her bright eyes peering down at him. “You’d never believe who just sent us a message!” 

She had been trying to get him to leave the house for weeks, the both of them. It was kind sure, kind that they still cared so deeply even after everything he had put them through, kind that they had accepted him back with not so much as a hesitation or thought that anything had changed since hallow bastion.

It was kind, and something he wasn’t used to. What he experienced within the organization had been something completely different from what he was used to at the time of his recruitment, Xemnas and the others were not only unkind but cruel- even for nobodies. The fear and paranoia that accompanied every interaction, the complete and total loss of control in any sense of the word. The illegitimate feelings of loss and a complete misunderstanding of what was truly going on, Sora was lucky to escape it at all, unlike most of the people that were- and still are -stuck tangled in something far bigger than what they had all thought.

The experience was terrifying to ‘live’ through kept reminders of itself in causal things that would occur throughout the day, seeming to stalk every move that he made. 

He found the most peace in sitting in the hammocks and rocking chairs that he had scattered around the house.

“Who sent it this time?” He questioned, a sigh playing off of his lips as Kairi’s curled into a grin “Jack Skellington! He said that he’s come up with the perfect scare for this Halloween and wants the Destiny Gremlins to be one of the first to check it out!” 

The Destiny Gremlins was what the adults of the island would call the three of them, finding as much trouble as they possibly could in the small town and play islands. The memories coaxing a smile onto Sora’s face much to Kairi’s delight, “So? What do you think? Riku is getting the ship ready soon, and I’m sure that he’d be more excited than Jack to see you come with.” She teased, lightly poking his forehead as he began to fiddle with the wraps around his hands exposing some of the scarring left from Roxas.

“I dunno Kairi, you two would probably have more fun without-“

“If you were planning to end that sentence with the word ‘me’ you’re going to get your ass kicked.” Kairi cut off, folding her arms on top of the rocking chair and giving him a half hearted glare. “Riku literally won’t shut up about how you’re going to love seeing Jack again, and I walked allllllll this way to see your lazy ass in the same state I left you last night.” 

Sora smirked, “Yeah well, same state different chair, I got up at some point.” Kairi groaned dramatically, pushing the rocking chair as Sora laughed, the light and genuine one that she had missed so much. “For that I’m telling Riku you’re going, whether you do or don’t us still up to you, just know that you’ll have to deal with his immense pouting when we get back.” He stuck out his tongue at her, “Guess you caught me then. When are you guys heading out?”

Kairi brightened at his acceptance, her enthusiasm shining in her response. “We leave at dawn tomorrow, dark enough so that the ‘locals’ won’t see us.” 

The gummyship was cleaner than he remembered, the thought of Donald yelling about this and that followed by Goofy’s true good reminders about anything that came to mind brought a small smile to his lips.

Riku was as ecstatic as Kairi was about this trip, possibly even more so due to Kairi insisting to drive as she was the most capable out of the three with Sora’s perfect record of crashing the gummyship and Riku’s tendency to get lost attempting to ‘navigate’ the supermarket.

“Wow, Sora smiling? Now this is a rare occurrence, quick Kairi, where’s the camera?” Riku called, earning himself a shove from the boy he was curled around. “Like you can say anything you jerk!” Sora laughed as Riku wrapped his arms around him tighter, Sora continuing to squirm out of his grip “When’s the last time you smiled?” 

“Hmmmm let’s see, there’s the time Kairi pushed you into the ocean and you took her with you, seeing your face when I ordered pineapple on pizza-“ “I still can’t believe what types of food you like.” “Shhhhhhhhh I’m listing- and then whenever I see you.” 

“Riku since when have you been such a sap?” Kairi shouted from the front of the ship, barely heard from the two’s laughter, “I mean really Riku, I taught you smoother lines than that!”

“At least he’s voicing it instead of throwing paopu fruit at me now!” Sora yelled, Riku’s face red from laughing and from the reminder that he actually did that.

“That’s true! But either way you two have to shut it cause we’re heading towards the worst of it.” Kairi informed, her voice serious as the gummyship’s sensors beeped with asteroids to avoid as their laughter died down to allow her to focus, settling back into how they were previously curled.

Eventually they made decent time to the Spooky and Horror filled world that was Halloween Town, memories of his first visit flitting by with a smile as Kairi parked the ship in one of the furthest corners of town where Jack awaited their arrival.

The magic of Halloween Town had already worked it’s ways on the three keyblade wielders as a rag doll Kairi and werewolf Riku exited the ship and ran up to Jack. 

Sora hesitated before opening his eyes, and with a look at his hands he knew exactly what the Town had changed. He exited the ship, using the naturally dark aura of the world to help hide his exit as he headed towards the fountain closest to the ship, clicking following him all the way. 

The ease in the way he still used the darkness scared the others, with how he’d unintentionally seem to blur into it and other times seem to come from nowhere. Sora had used it throughout his time in the organization, the few good things that came from it was Larxene’s teaching on the various magic that was taught ‘You humans always seem to think you control more than you really do, for magic you have to be grateful for the fact that you’re even allowed to use it.’ Was one of her favorite thing to lecture with when whatever magic he was trying to learn would get out of hand. 

Where light had once come as naturally as breathing, the darkness that had taken its place bucked and fought like a wild animal, using it without thinking about how it would react resulted in the destruction of many many test dummies until he had finally gotten the hang of the offensive magic.

At that point it was more comfortable to remain with it than return to the light that had once been his very core. 

Nausea began to wash over him following the memories, fear dig itself into the pit of his stomach as he looked into the fountain.

His Halloween Town form had been changed to Roxas, icy glowing eyes stared up at him from the rippling water. His face was doll like, though the rest of him closely followed a marionette. The strings that came from each limb met in a hopelessly tangled mess that dragged behind him when he moved, followed by the crossbar that caught itself on anything it passed as it clicked and clacked it’s way behind him. He was dressed in his organization clothing, though more torn and weathered than it had been even after he defected a large tear in the front where Axel- now Lea had killed him not too long ago a black liquid drained from the rip and blended with the void black of the cloak and shoes. The boots glistened under the dim lamp light and only joined the noise that the crossbar made, the urge to tear them both off boiled up and was then promptly stomped out with the warning thought of it’s not your place. 

He was trapped once again, memories grew more intense as they made their way into the spotlight more aggressive than before. Memories of Vexen and his laboratory flashed by, of Larxene, the first dream of Ventus, the darkness that filled every crevice of that stark and bleached white castle.

He looked to his hands again, the mix of purple and black coating them once more, looking almost burnt and more claw like than human. 

Something that he had no wish to see ever again.

It took him a minute to realize that the upbeat conversation had dropped as he looked towards Kairi, Riku, and Jack. Riku and Kairi’s faces slack and shell shocked as they stared at what Halloween Town thought was a fitting disguise for him, and why wouldn’t it? The common thought around nobodies were that they were simply monsters trying to be something they’re not, and isn’t that just something that he was trying to do, continue like nothing had ever happened?

Jack started towards him, cutting Sora loose from the tangle of thoughts that had begun to engulf him.

“Sora!!! It’s truly been forever, why haven’t you visited sooner? Actually no, it’s better that you didn’t otherwise I wouldn’t be able to show you what leaps I’ve been able to make for this years halloween!! And I see that you’ve been able to upgrade your Halloween spirit as well!!! You look absolutely horrifying you’ll be great in this upcoming Halloween!!” Jack rambled, his voice filled with passion and excitement as Sora smiled.

“Yeah, it’s really been a while.” He agreed, eyes drifting over towards the concerned and unsettled stares of Kairi and Riku. “Kairi said that you’re working on something new?” Sora offered, Jack taking the conversation piece and running with it as he started towards the town square. 

“Oh do I have a treat for you!!” 

Sora rejoined Riku and Kairi as they silently followed behind the overjoyed skeleton, Sora silently wincing at ever click and clack that the boots and crossbars made. The tangled mess of string snagging on every slightly jutting surface as Sora began to fidget and fiddle with his hands, ignoring the small and concerned looks that came from Kairi and Riku.

“If the noise bothers you, can’t you just pick it up?” Riku questioned eventually finding his voice, concern oozing from the two. “S’not my place.” Sora muttered in response, keeping his eyes trained on his hands as the other to came to a stop.

Kairi looked at him, her face a mix of illegible emotions. “Then who’s place is it?” She asked, Sora shoving his hands deep into the cloaks pockets as he continued to walk. “Dunno, but it’s certainly not mine.” The crossbars caught themselves conveniently on one of the many uneven pieces of cobble, causing Sora to pitch forwards and tumble.

Closing his eyes he just expected to meet the old and cold stones of the Halloween Town’s roads, but was instead met with Riku’s arms. 

“How many times do we have to remind you Sora? You’re not on your own anymore, and we’re not going to let you be alone.” Riku scolded as Kairi unhooked the crossbars from the rock and handed it to him. “You’re not alone, not as Roxas, not as Sora.” Kairi said firmly, taking Sora’s hand and pushing the crossbar into them. “Just because we’ve all been through things that have changed us in more ways than one doesn’t mean that we don’t care nor need you anymore.”

Riku let go of where he had caught Sora and hesitantly took his hand instead. “Hell I could’ve been one of the new organization members if it wasn’t for your miraculous timing, how long were you stalking us again?” Sora groaned at that, Riku and Kairi snickering in response. “No matter how many times I explain that you’re still just gonna call me a stalker huh?”

Kairi put her hand to her chin in a mock thinking pose, “Hmmmm, yeah.” Sora stuck out his tongue in response, the three laughing to themselves in the quiet of the town square.

“You guys are going to miss out if you don’t catch up!” Jack’s voice suddenly rang out, catching the three off guard with the reminder of why they had come there in the first place. “Race you there!” Sora challenged his demeanor somewhat brighter than before, crossbar and Riku in hand as the two took off sprinting. “Hey no fair you cheaters!” Kairi shouted at them as she dashed to catch up, a memory of the three of them running along the shores of the play island ringing in all of their minds.


End file.
